With all this time spent at home, my son was craving a change and we felt like a bedroom refresh could be a fun thing to do together in this season!  And since he hit double-digits this year I felt this was a good opportunity to create a room that could really grow with him as he matures toward those pre-teen years. 

Here is what his room looked like BEFORE:

As you can see it was a hodgepodge of random things, and I’m excited to create a cohesive space that really lives up to its full potential.  And while I don’t want it to entirely lose that little-kid vibe, I see this as an opportunity to be intentional about creating a space that can grow with him over the next few years. 

Ordering Paint via Local Delivery:

Since we don’t go out as often these days, I used Ace Hardware’s local delivery option to get the paint I needed delivered right to my door.  Did you know that was even an option?!  Ace Rewards Members get FREE local delivery from their local Ace with any online order over $50.   It was so simple to go to the website, select my local store, and schedule a delivery right to my doorstep.  The paint arrived within a few hours and I could not be happier with how convenient and safe this option was.   

No going out, no loading up the kids in the car, no driving, or trying to find the time to run out during a virtual school day…paint literally just showed up at my door within hours.  It felt like having my own magical paint fairy, lol.  Typically when you order paint online from other places, it is tinted and shipped from a warehouse so you have to wait a while for it to arrive, but Ace can get it to you so much quicker because it’s coming right from your local store!  And with over 4,200 stores across the country, and 70% of the U.S. population within 15 minutes of an Ace, this is a great option for many people to take advantage of.  They also offer in-store and curbside pick up, so you can have a convenient and quality experience no matter what your preference is.  (*FYI: Participation and delivery area vary by store. Delivery today available on in-stock orders placed by noon or on orders placed at least 2 hours before store closing time, whichever is earlier. Ace Rewards members are eligible to receive free next business day delivery on orders of store-stocked items placed before 6 pm local store time, on days the store is open. Orders including assembly do not qualify for delivery today or next business day delivery.)

Our Color Choice:

I let my son pick the color for his room, using Clark+Kensington’s 2021 Color Trends as the starting point.  After looking at all the options, he chose Blue Spruce by Clark+Kensington (#29A-5). 

It’s a beautiful deep green, reminiscent of a Blue Spruce evergreen tree.   I loved that I could give him the freedom to choose the color he wanted to have, while also knowing that we really couldn’t go wrong with any of the beautiful colors from the Color Trend palette.

We also used Clark+Kensington Silent White (CW-C1), which I’m definitely adding to my arsenal of “go-to” white paint colors.  It’s a white with a slight warm undertone, making it perfect for giving a true white appearance with a nod of warmth. 

My son has seen me adding wall treatments around here for years and asked if he could pick out some sort of accent for his room.  And there was no way I was going to turn down that opportunity.  After scouring Pinterest, he decided he liked the look of skinny board and batten slats.  

Skinny Board & Batten Slat Accent Wall, Step by Step Tutorial:

The first step was to paint the wall, and thankfully since Clark + Kensington is a paint and primer in one, it saved us a step.  Since we were using a roller, I figured it would be much easier & quicker to paint the wall first so that I wasn’t trying to cut-in with a brush around a dozen slats.  

I also rolled the edges of the individual slats with paint before putting them on the wall.   If you are using a paint sprayer, you can skip this step.  But if you’re using a roller and brush, I encourage you to paint the wall and the edges of the skinny slats BEFORE you nail them to the wall because it will be much quicker that way.

We bought pre-primed wooden 1 x 2’s to use as the “batten” part of this skinny board-and-batten look.  They were ¾” thick originally but we planed them down to 5/8” so that they wouldn’t stick out further than our existing baseboard.

Using 1 and ¼” brad nails, I attached them to the wall.  If you want to make sure they are really firmly secured to the wall, you can use Liquid Nails on the back of the wood, prior to nailing it to the wall. 

Then I filled the nail holes with wood filler.  I let that dry for 15 minutes and then sanded it down.  After it had dried for 2 hours, my son and I rolled the front of the “batten” slats with two coats of Blue Spruce.  We also painted the outlet covers with Blue Spruce too so that they’d blend into the wall.

Adding the Finishing Touches:

The beautiful color of this new accent wall set the perfect backdrop for the rest of this room to come together easily.  We used his same bed, but added fresh bedding and a fun new nightstand, along with some basketball art since he loves basketball.

Remember what it looked like before?! 

Here is the AFTER:

I’ve got to say, I couldn’t be happier with how this space turned out!  Creating this room WITH my son was such a project, and I’m so happy he can start 2021 with a fresh new space.   Color really changes everything!  And it was so easy to use the curated palettes from the Clark + Kensington 2021 Color Trends, available exclusively at Ace Hardware.  With 3 palettes heavily inspired by nature and natural elements like wood tones, linen, and peaceful greens, these colors are sure to evoke a sense of calm in any space. 

I keep walking into this room just to see this view!  I love the transforming power of a wall treatment and paint, and am excited for my son to make memories in his new room.

What project is next on your list?  Be sure to check out the Paint Studio to get your project started, and head to www.acehardware.com for more info.